Two Disciples

Two Disciples
by Dharmendra Sheth

 

Do you want to achieve something important? If so, read on.

 

Let us rewind from our times to the ancient times, to the days when boys went away to study in ashrams—small huts with thatched roofs, cow-dung plastered walls and bamboo doors. In one such ashram, once the guru set a task for two disciples. Each had to deliver a parcel to another ashram far away in the forest across a river that flowed between the two ashrams.

         

One of them started off right away with great alacrity. However, the task almost turned out to be a wild goose chase for him. Unable to decide which path to follow, he often met dead ends and had to start all over again. He didn’t have anything or anyone to guide him or set him on the right path. Stumbling and falling down along the path over ancient tree roots, he got bruised, lost interest in the task and even felt like giving up. But he knew he must not. He trudged on. At long last, he made it to his destination. When he returned to his ashram after a long, long day, tired and haggard, he was surprised to find the other disciple, who was also set the same task, playing with his friends. When he asked him how he had returned so quickly, he learned that the other fellow had finished his task in just two hours.

         

Crestfallen, he went to his guru and asked how the other one was able to finish the task so quickly. The guru explained: You see, my boy, you started as soon as you were given the task. But your god-brother didn’t rush off in haste like you. He planned his task, he asked questions until he understood which path he should take. You see, he prepared himself thoroughly for the task. It is no wonder that he performed it with ease!

         

The first disciple realised where he had gone wrong! That day he learned an important lesson. He thanked the guru and, with a light heart, began playing with his friends.

 

Moral: “Prepare well, and you will get there with ease!”

 

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Note: Let me thank a) my friend Hasmukh Umaria for his valuable input, and b) my guru Dr Sudhakar Marathe for transforming my gibberish into a fable worth reading.